Know your responsibilities as a tenant. Read your lease agreement carefully!

General

• Housing & Apartment Information and Resources (340+ articles on Eviction; Leasing or renting a home; Foreclosure; Owning or buying a home; Utilities; Security deposits; Section 8 Vouchers and public housing; Housing discrimination; Housing repairs; and other issues)
• Illinois Attorney General
• Illinois State Bar Association Guide to Landlord-Tenant Law
• Housing Action Illinois

Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

• Illinois Department of Children & Family Services: Housing Rights and Responsibilities
• Illinois Housing Handbook
• Illinois Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws
• Access Living or (800) 613-8549 / (888) 243-7003 (Toll Free TTY): A center of service, advocacy, and social change for people with disabilities.
• National Housing Law Project

Resources in Chicago

• Chicago Rents Right Hot-line or (312) 742-7368: Information and assistance on legal responsibilities and rights of renters and property owners.
• Chicago Department of Housing or (312) 744-4190
• Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
• Rentervention Chat Bot or text “hi” to 866-7RENTER (866-773-6837): Free and confidential help with legal advice, tenant-landlord issues, and community resources.
• Center for Conflict Resolution or (312) 922-6464: Free landlord-tenant mediation.
• Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance or (872) 228-7844

Legal Assistance and Resources

• General and Statewide
  • Illinois Legal Aid Online: Free, easy to understand legal advice (find “Housing & Apartment” under “Resources”)
  • Illinois COVID H.E.L.P. (Housing & Economic Loss Prevention): Free online tool for people in Illinois who are facing housing, unemployment, and other economic problems because of COVID-19. It provides reliable legal information on the most common legal concerns caused by the pandemic, supported by nonprofit legal aid organizations across the state.
  • Prairie State Legal Services (Central and Northern Illinois)
  • Land of Lincoln Legal Aid (Central and Southern Illinois) or (877) 342-7891
  • HOPE Fair Housing Center (Northern Illinois) or (630) 690-6500
• Chicago Area Legal Assistance and Resources
  • Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt (Chicago & Cook County) or (855) 956-5763
  • CARPLS Legal Aid Hotline (Cook County) or (312) 738-9200 (Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4:30 pm)
  • Legal Aid Chicago (Chicago) or (312) 341-1070
  • Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (Chicago) or (312) 347-7600
  • Metropolitan Legal Aid Society (Chicago) or (312) 986-4105
  • University of Illinois Chicago John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Support Center & Clinic (Chicago)
  • Metropolitan Family Services Legal Aid Society (Chicago) or (312) 986-4105
  • Uptown People’s Law Center (Chicago) or (773) 769-1411
  • Center for Disability & Elder Law (Chicago & Cook) or (312) 376-1880
  • South Suburban Housing Center (South Suburbs) or (708) 957-4674
  • Open Communities (North Suburbs) or 847-501-5760
  • North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic (North Suburbs) or (847) 737-4042

Need Help?

• If you believe your rights may have been violated or are a victim of housing discrimination, we encourage you to submit a complaint. Because there are time limits on when a complaint can be filed with HUD after an alleged violation, you should submit a complaint as soon as possible. You may file a complaint online, call us toll-free at (800) 669-9777 or (800) 877-8339, or email ComplaintsOffice05@hud.gov.
• Want advice on buying a home, renting, default, foreclosure avoidance, credit issues or reverse mortgages? HUD sponsors housing counseling agencies throughout the country to provide free or low cost advice. Search online for a housing counseling agency near you, or call HUD's interactive voice system at: (800) 569-4287. You can also search for HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agencies by Zip Code using the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website.